Oct 08, 2026 9:13am IST
Mehul Kumar on Nana Patekar: ‘His Name Will Live On’
Veteran actor and filmmaker Nana Patekar has died at the age of 75 after suffering a cardiac arrest at his home in Goa. According to hospital sources, doctors attempted to revive the actor for nearly 45 minutes after he was brought to the hospital, but he did not respond to treatment and was declared dead at 5:20 a.m.
Variety India reached out to director Mehul Kumar, who worked with Nana in films like "Tirangaa," "Krantiveer," "Kohram" and more...
On Personal Bond and Dynamic
"My memories with Nana are such that I will cherish them for a lifetime. He was never just an actor or a director to me—we were like family. My wife used to tie a rakhi on him, and he visited our home often." "Regardless of what he was to the world, to me, he was a deeply down-to-earth human being. No ego at all; whenever you called, he would immediately pick up and talk. As long as I live in this world, Nana will always remain in my heart. As long as the sun and moon shine, Nana Patekar's name will live on."
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On Their First Meeting and 'Tirangaa'
"When I narrated the story to him at his Lokhandwala house, he immediately said, 'Mehul, the story is great, but I'm a bit nervous about working with Raaj Kumar saab. If any problem arises on set, I will walk out and never come back.' I told him, 'This is my third film with Raaj saab, there won't be any issues.' And look how it turned out—the film was made, became a massive blockbuster, and remains iconic."
On Shooting 'Krantiveer' Climax From Hospital
"I found out Nana was admitted to Nanavati Hospital, so I went to see him and said, 'Nana, your health is bad, I am canceling tomorrow's shoot.' But he told me, 'Mehul, if something happens to me, your film will remain incomplete. Call me in an ambulance along with a doctor, and take my scene in a single shot.'" "He arrived at Film City in an ambulance with a doctor, sat down for 45 minutes to memorize his speech, and executed that iconic climax dialogue in just one take."
On His Last Days in Goa and Final Meeting
"He told me, 'Mehul, look, coming to Mumbai has become so difficult now. You can't even drive here with all these issues, so I am living a peaceful life in Goa.' He bought a very nice house by the beach in Goa and invited me over, but I never got the free time to visit."
"The last time we met in person was at a premiere. During the interval, he left, and when I called him the next morning, he laughed and said, 'I didn't want to hear your feedback or dialogue, I already knew how the film was!' He posed for a photograph with my wife and me, saying, 'Let's take a memorable photo together.'"
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